Putin starts Europe tour in Spain

President Vladimir Putin of Russia is in Spain at the start of a five day European tour which will also take him to Germany and Moldova.

The main focus of the visit is expected to be Russian calls for foreign investment, with Mr Putin due to address Spanish and German business executives, in addition to his talks with political leaders.

But the BBC Defence Correspondent says Mr Putin's strategic charm offensive is also expected to include efforts to persuade Spain and Germany of the merits of Russian ideas for a shared European and American defence system against nuclear attack by rogue states. Washington is proposing its own system, and the American Secretary of State, William Cohen, has been having talks in Moscow on the issue, seeing Mr Putin before his departure for Spain.

Mr Putin is also expected to seek support for Moscow's actions in Chechnya.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service